How do you feel about choosing beliefs based on the effect that their adoption has on one's life rather than based on their truth value (the effect of holding a belief would still be determined factually)?

For example, a person chooses to believe in eternal life because she struggles to add meaning to a finite life that is followed by oblivion. Or a person rejects the view that homosexuality is evil because of the manner in which this view affects his behaviour towards homosexuals.

Some people value truth. Some people value a sense of security. It's not really a religious thing, it extends into politics. However, at the same time, they also don't want to believe that they're being lied to. So they trick themselves into believing it. I don't think I met anyone who knew it was all lies yet believed in it at the same time. It could be artificial, but then that's a different route altogether. That's more of the community aspect of it. The prior is essentially...cognitive dissonance.